On Christmas Eve, my pastor concluded the service with this benediction: “Enjoy Jesus deeply, Be transformed thoroughly, and Love broadly.” Everyone seemed to chuckle a little at the idea of “enjoying Jesus.”

Does it surprise you to be told to “Enjoy Jesus”? What does that mean? Aren’t Christians supposed to be serious and sober in all that they do and say and think? Is there any Biblical basis for this?

Psalm 37:4 says, “Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart.” I first took this verse to heart when I was living in Tokyo and had all sorts of ideas regarding the desires of my heart, and no idea how to achieve them. A long, hard look at my life and a decision to first “take delight in the LORD” and see where that led me, despite having been a Christian for as long as I could remember, totally changed my life (the complete story of this is in Cup of Comfort: Book of Bible Promises; see the Books page or find it on Amazon). Ultimately, it led to the writing of Sophie’s Quest, because I was so excited about God’s presence in my life that I wanted children everywhere to have a glimpse of what that might mean for them.

We read in Psalm 110:35 the Psalmist saying, “Direct me in the path of your commands, for there I find delight.” The New Testament tells stories of Jesus and his disciples at weddings and parties and other social gatherings. Children ran to be with him.

God works mysteriously and according to His own timing, to be sure. There is no magic formula for “do this and get that,” in the sense that most of us probably want. But I want to challenge all of us in the new year to first take delight in the LORD, really enjoy him. Ask him to be present with you in your comings and goings, in your dreams and goals, in your joys and sorrows, and in everything you say and do and think, and see where that takes you. Ask him to show you how to “enjoy Jesus deeply.”

My New Year’s Eve prediction is that you’ll never be the same again. I wasn’t!

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About Sonja Anderson

I write novels and picture books for children, and occasionally an article or short story for adults, too. I grew up in Ohio, and I have lived in Chicago, Connecticut, Boston, Tokyo, and Seattle. The beautiful Pacific Northwest inspires me every day.